Surfing is an age old hobby that continues to grow in popularity. A surfboard is usually attached to the user's leg via a leash. One end of the leash is secured around a portion of the user's leg, such as the ankle or calf, and another end of the leash is secured to the board. The leash prevents the surfboard from being separated from the user during a fall. Without the use of a leash, the surfboard could be pulled out to sea due to wave action and/or the tide. In other instances, the surfboard could be pushed closer to shore, requiring the user to swim a greater distance than would otherwise be necessary in order to retrieve the board. Use of a leash can also provide an important safety feature. In a deep water fall, the surfer may become disoriented. Due to the flotation nature of the surfboard, being connected to the leash will always indicate to the surfer which direction is “up”—the direction of the water surface.
Stand-up paddle boarding has also enjoyed enhanced popularity. Similar to use of a surfboard leash, a paddle boarder secures one end of a leash to his/her leg, such as the ankle or calf, and another end of the leash to the paddleboard. Being attached to the board provides similar advantages to those described above, particularly when paddle boarding in strong currents always. It is envisioned that other board sports or water sports may also enjoy benefits from having the board attached to the user. This disclosure is envisioned possible for any other type of appropriate sport.
However, the use of a leash can sometimes create hazardous conditions as well. It is possible that the leash may become tangled around the user's limbs or equipment in use. For example, the leash may tangle around the ankle, the calf, the arms, and/or the neck; in other instances, the leash may tangle around equipment, such as a paddle, the board itself, or video or other equipment. Such entanglement can cause a fall to be more dangerous. For example, if the boarder's ankles are caught in the leash, it may be more difficult to control a wipe out fall in a particular way or to fall off of a particular side of the board. Instead, the user's options may be more limited, which can create the potential for injuries. Additionally, an entangled board leash may limit the user's ability to traverse back and forth on the board, which can limit mobility and style.
One previously attempted solution has been to use a pull tab system that secures the leash at the surfer's waist and allows the surfer to release the pull tab prior to a fall. This system uses a VELCRO® member (or other type of hook and loop material) located at the waist of the surfer to which the leash is attached. The VELCRO® design utilizes a single strip of fabric with either side of the VELCRO® attached to the strip of fabric with a bare patch between the two and an additional tab of fabric at the end to act as a “pull tab.” This requires the leash to be placed between the two patches of VELCRO®, allowing it to freely slide while hanging. This design also requires the user to actively pull the tab during a fall in order to release the leash from the VELCRO® system. If the user is unable to pull the tab, then when the leash is pulled taught in a fall, the user's ankle or calf (the point of leash attachment) will be pulled up to the waist (the point of the VELCRO® device), which could potentially harm the wearer. The intent behind this system is to provide a rapid attachment but to also allow a breakaway when the surfer pulls the tab, allowing the leash to be freed. However, the present inventors have found that this system is not optimal. It requires the surfer to consciously pull the tab in order to release the leash. It is not designed to automatically detach the leash. Accordingly, an improved leash lift system is provided herein.